SOCOM 4 Unveiled! Your Questions Answered

On Wednesday, January 26th, Sony and Zipper Interactive invited the OCmodshop crew to their offices in Redmond, Washington to take a look at the new SOCOM 4 and let us ask questions.  Not only did we get a full tour of the game, but they had a lobby all decked out with multiple stations for us to play the single and multiplayer campaigns.  They even showed off some of the new technology features, particularly 3d television support and Playstation Move support and a new gun peripheral.

Travis Steiner, lead designer of SOCOM 4 kicked off the event, who gave a quick overview and then showed a short demo of the single-player campaign and multiplayer game.

We’re happy to show you the latest progress with the new SOCOM 4. We’re very happy to be on the virge of releasing another SOCOM game. If you count SOCOM 4, Zipper Interactive has developed seven SOCOM titles across three platforms, and development stretches nearly a decade. The games have sold over 12 million copies worldwide, which is a phenominal success. We’ve looked at SOCOM as setting the standard for online console shooters and we’re particularly interested in raising that bar yet again with SOCOM 4 when it releases exclusively for the Playstation 3 on April 19th.

SOCOM 4 isn’t just some small iteration, but rather SOCOM redefined. This is a major evolution of the series that still stays true to the core values. We’re adding a more cinematic story experience, but we are staying true to the fundamental aspects that make SOCOM what it is: Teamwork, Authenticity, and Innovation.

Most of you haven’t seen the game since our E3 demo when we showcased the first level of the campaign where the team leader and his squad attempt to escape a South Asian city under attack from the forces of NAGA.

Today we’d like to showcase another single-player mission, where you’re going to see some of the great progress we’ve made since then. It’s a mission called “Onslaught”, which takes place later in the campaign (about half-way through) and there’s a new enemy faction at play here – a shadowy para-military corporation and you’ve just found out that they’ve ambushed allied units in the area. The OPS commander and his team have received a distress signal to come to their aid. This is a fast-paced, more action-oriented mission. A few highlights I want to point out is the high-fidelity, in-engine cinematic. Next is the AI-squad behaviors. All of the enemies work together as a group to utilize suppressive fire, flanking, and sometimes that means you need to retreat.

We give the player new tools to combat this threat. We have new quick contextual team commands, which is as simple as clicking a D-pad button. Because it’s so quick, it’s something you can do in the middle of combat. You may want to move your position or re-adjust your forces as the enemy is using one of these squad-based behaviors.

The last thing you’ll see a lot of is destruction of the environment, specifically with cover. We really wanted to make sure that cover elements are destructible, which really brings the immersion to a new level.

On the next page we go over the new multiplayer features of the game…

The real reason we’re here is to talk about SOCOM 4 multiplayer. SOCOM 4 features both 5-player cooperative as well as 32-player competitive mode. Today we’re primarially focusing on the competitive mode.

Going back to those core values of SOCOM. SOCOM is the most team-focued online shooter out there. In many ways it can be looked at like a team sport, where every individual is filling a role, only in this case the weapons and the gear you bring to the battle dictate that role.

Here’s some actual gameplay footage of the multiplayer game

All the objectives feature competitive and co-op center around that team-based play. Getting someone to watch your back while you go for the mission objective is really key to this mode of online play.

That all boils down to memorible moments, and I think this is the key element of SOCOM 4 multiplayer. Running around out in the open shooting guys can be fun but it’s that team collaboration, working with friends and that ad-hoc strategy that really creates those adrenaline-filled moments that you’ll be talking about days later. In particular, close-calls, sacrifice, or the perfect tactic. SOCOM 4 lets you create your own war stories that you can share with your friends. Some of the developers still talk about some of the best battles they’ve ever played from months ago, and that team play is what makes it possible.

Last Defense multplay mode

One of the new modes is called “Last Defense”. In this particular game mode, each team controls key points in the middle of the map marked as A, B, and C, which are represented visually in the level as small satellite dishes. If a team is able to capture all three of those points, it will triangulate the location of the enemy base and give your team a 2-minute time chance to conduct an air-strike on the base and destroy it.

The attacking team is going to group together to go in and find those beacons. As a defending team you’re going to hear guys yelling on the radio to fall back, and you have a desperate last stand at the objective point to try and hold them back during that 2-minute window. If the defending team is able to hold them back, then all three control points will reset.

Authenticity

SOCOM has always been known as one of the more authentic console shooters out there. We’re definitely continuing that with SOCOM 4. Starting with the fact that we reward tactical play. Guys that run out in the open all willy-nilly are going to get gunned down pretty quick. In SOCOM we really encourage you to levereage the environment, just like a real soldier would, using the cover system, vegetitation, time and shadows to try and get that competitive edge.

Soldiers in real life are adaptive. We have introduced environmental destruction, which means that the cover you have now may not exist in a few minutes. An enemy RPG or grenade could come in and literally blow your cover. This also brings the immersive qualities of the game up a notch.

Great attention to detail has always been key to SOCOM. This is particularly true with weapons and making sure they look realistic, but also making sure the environments look as realistic as possible.

Innovation

Zipper has always been on the cutting edge of new technology, particularly when you talk about the SOCOM franchise. SOCOM 4 supports the Playstation Move and the new SharpShooter game peripheral. Ever since we got our hands on Playstation Move we were very excited because we think SOCOM is a great example of how a serious shooter can work with motion control.

People who have tried this new way of playing are all asking “When can I hold it like a gun?”. We took that feedback and worked with Gorilla Games to co-develop this SharpShooter Gun peripheral and it’s designed specifically for games like SOCOM and Killzone. During the design phase we made sure it had a reload button, fire mode switch and all the other things we know SOCOM players will really appreciate.

SOCOM 4 also features next-generation implementation of 3d. This means that the game can be displayed at full resolution at full performance. When you combine 3d along with the Playstation Move and SharpShooter gun accessory then you are getting as close to the combat as possible in any sort of game.

Replayability

Users suggested custom playlists in multiplayer games. We have a lot of custom options that players can switch and define their own private multplayer games. We can then take feedback from the community and host our own ranked matches. You can play “shotguns only” “faster movement”, “additional damage” and “no respawn” just to name a few examples. That way we can really keep the online play fresh and really engaging the online community.

To summarize competitive multiplayer: 32-player online combat. We have 14 focused game modes, including suppression (basically the SOCOM version of “Team Deathmatch”). We have an Uplink mode in which each team takes turns trying to infiltrate the enemy base to obtain valuable data and return it to their own base, like “Capture the Flag”. I walked you through “Last Defense”, and we still have one more game mode that’s still classified and will be unveiled at a later date.

SOCOM 4 features 9 all-new maps which were designed from the ground up specifically for SOCOM 4 multiplayer plus we have one additional classic map, called “Abandoned” which is available if you pre-order the game through GameStop.

On the next page we get our questions answered by the Lead Designer…

During the SOCOM 4 press event, we got a chance to pin down Travis Steiner, Lead Designer for SOCOM 4, who answered some of our questions about the new tactical shooter.

What is the background and setting of the game?

The game takes place in SouthEast Asia. You play the role of an elite NATO operations commander who’s been sent into the region as part of a large peacekeeping force and a violent revolution engulfs the area. This poses a major threat because this country in SE Asia is on the straights of Milaka (sp) which is a major world waterway. Alies get decimated in this revolution and now you and your small squad are the only hope to prevent this catastrophe.

You start out with two teammates, which are members of the US Navy Seals, and throughout the campaign you’ll encounter members of the 707th South Korean Team and they’ll actually join forces with you, making a total of a five-man squad.

The enemy faction you’re fighting that’s responsible for this revolution is called NAGA. As the campaign goes on you’ll find that there’s more to the agenda than really meets the eye. This is more of a guerilla-style outfit but they have weaponry that seems a little better than what you’d expect from a guerilla outfit so you know there’s something else at play. The faction that I showed off during this demo is a private military corporation is ultimately involved as well.

Are all of the characters with you throughout the campaign?

Yes, they are all with you throughout the entire campaign.

What kinds of locales and missions will we get and how are the missions assigned?

We have a wide variety of missions. The first mission takes place in the middle of a major downtown capitol, so you’re on the destroyed streets and freeways. Then we go all the way over on the other side of the spectrum to a more rural jungle-based environment. Densely-populated urban spaces, jungle, and then other types of industrial facilities.

What types of enemies will be features in the game?

You fight NAGA at the beginning, but they have some mysterious weaponry that’s more advanced than what you’d expect. You learn over time that there’s another entity (a private military organization) at play. We’re not giving all the details of the story away yet, but there are two major players in the campaign story.

How long does it take to get through the single-player campaign?

It depends on your play style, but somewhere within the 8 to 10 hours of gameplay time. That’s spread out over 14 missions.

How difficult is it to play?

SOCOM 4 features four different skill levels. On Normal mode we have it tuned so that you have to use cover and your teammates. That’s the goal of the game. You don’t want to run out in the middle of the open with guns blazing… you want to play it like a real soldier would.

Can you tell us how the game works with the Move?

The key with any sort of motion control device is custom options. There is a little bit of a learning curve, but that’s the same as someone using a standards controller for the first time. What we’ve found is that the learning curve for the Move is fairly small and players seem to pick it up, and there’s a great one-to-one corelation between moving the controller and aiming the gun. You can customize how sensitive the movement is, and move players lower the sensitivity at first and then crank it up as they they get better.

In your dominant hand you hold the Playstion Move controller, which is used for aiming and a few other functions, such as shooting. The other hand you’ll hold a standard Dual-Shock or navigation controller, which is what is used to move your character and perform some other actions.

What can you tell us about hte 3D options in the game and what rewards and challenges does this new technology present?

SOCOM 4 does support 3D televisions, and with the power of the PS3 you can play at full resolution with 3D settings enabled without any noticable slowdown.

What kinds of weapons will be available?

We have all sorts of different things from sniper rifles to sub-machine guns, shotguns, heavy machine guns. All totaled there are thirty different weapons in the game.

What types of multiplay are offered?

SOCOM 4 features both 5-player cooperative as well as 32-player competitive mode. SOCOM is the most team-focued online shooter out there. In many ways it can be looked at like a team sport, where every individual is filling a role, only in this case the weapons and the gear you bring to the battle dictate that role.

All the objectives feature competitive and co-op center around that team-based play. Getting someone to watch your back while you go for the mission objective is really key to this mode of online play.

Which vehicles are in the game?

There are no driveable vehicles in SOCOM 4. We’ve done that in the past but we really wanted to focus on more Special-Forces-style engagements, which doesn’t involve a lot of big battles with vehicles.

What forms of multiplayer are offered?

To summarize competitive multiplayer: 32-player online combat. We have 14 focused game modes, including suppression (basically the SOCOM version of “Team Deathmatch”). We have an Uplink mode in which each team takes turns trying to infiltrate the enemy base to obtain valuable data and return it to their own base, like “Capture the Flag”. We walked through “Last Defense”, and we still have one more game mode that’s still classified and will be unveiled at a later date.

What can you tell us about the AI in the game?

The AI in SOCOM 4 is very advanced. The enemy are set up to use squad tactics, so they work together as a group. You’ll see guys laying down suppressive fire to cover each other then they’re flanking, bounding. This type of behavior makes it feel like authentic combat. On the player’s side of things we’ve tried to find that right balance between your buddies doing smart things on their own but when you want to take command it’s very intuitive and easy to do.

What have been some of the biggest challenges and rewards in crafting SOCOM 4?

We really wanted to build SOCOM from the ground up so we started a whole new engine for the PS3. A lot of effort was spent on these core systems, such as the AI, the cover, camera and movement systems. I think that’s probably the biggest challenge… we obviously had a foundation on the Playstation 2 but we really wanted to harness the power of the PS3.

What in your opinion is the key to keeping the franchise fresh and where do you see the future of the series heading?

We get a lot of great feedback from the fans after every SOCOM game. In the past there’s always some cool thing that we didn’t have time to get to. We’re focusing on SOCOM 4 right now, and we’ll take in feedback from the gamers for features and improvements to future games.